Two Minds Are Better Than One
by Lon Wolfgood
Summary: AU, OotP, 7th year. Hermione is feeling depressed, and Harry wants to cheer her up. That's when Colin Creevy takes a picture of him with a special camera. Only, things don't go as planned. Poor Snape. HPHG, mentions of RWLL and NLGW.


**Two Minds Are Better Than One**

**Notes:** Forget about HBP, takes place on seventh year, with Voldie out of the way.

* * *

Harry sat alone in the Gryffindor common room, in front of the fireplace. He wasn't sure what to do. Heck, he'd rather go face off Voldemort again than to feel so helpless. But might as he try, not a single good idea could find its way into his head. He sighed loudly, "What am I to do?"

His female best friend, Hermione, was feeling depressed. She had lost her grandparents from her mother's side to the war. They had been particularly close to the girl, so it had affected her as much as if she had lost her own parents.

Colin Creevy walked into the common room, camera in hand, and spotted his favorite wizard. He was about to call out to ask for another autograph when he saw the older boy wasn't in the mood. He felt concerned, so he walked up to him. "Hey, Harry. Are you okay?"

The raven-haired boy looked up at his number one fan, inwardly groaning. _Not another autograph, please!_ he though desperately. "Yeah, I guess," he said with a shrug. "How many this time?"

The question startled Colin. He hadn't expected such a defeated tone. _Am I always so annoying?_ he wondered. "Um, no. Don't worry about that. My brother and I found a spell to duplicate your signature," he lied lamely. But inwardly he cursed himself... He should have thought about that a long time ago! "I'm actually worried, Harry. You look sad."

"It's Hermione," Harry answered, and immediately blurted out everything he felt. No one, not even Ron had asked him if he was okay. He thought it was ironic it was a young boy who idolized him. But he couldn't back down now, "She rarely talks to me anymore. She spends so much time studying and doesn't eat well... I'm scared for her, and I feel so damn helpless. I can't do anything to cheer her up."

Colin listened patiently, nodded and when Harry was done, he looked thoughtful. "Well," he said finally. "You aren't 'cheering up' material."

Harry was stunned. Not literally, of course. He had expected something lame and dumb, worth of a hero-worshiper. But no, it was the honest cruel reality. Harry Potter was not 'cheering up' material, as Colin put it. "What do I do? If Hermione keeps doing this, she'll... She'll die."

The younger boy nodded and sat down next to him. He looked around the room, as if trying to find ideas out of thin air. Then he looked at the camera in his hands, and smirked. Smirked. Colin Creevy smirked. Harry gulped, having never seen that look on the boy. "I have an idea," he said casually. "I'll be right back."

The raven-haired boy gulped again as Colin dashed to the boys' dorm. And less than five minutes later, he was back. But nothing seemed to have changed, in Harry's opinion. Except the smirk now was a smug smile. "So, what's the big idea?" he asked, chuckling nervously.

"This camera looks like an ordinary magical camera," he explained, holding the machine up. Harry couldn't tell the difference, but he was highly amused by the 'ordinary magical' comment. He nodded, allowing Colin to continue. "This will allow you to take out the hidden side of you. Thus, you might be able to help Hermione."

"So, how does it work?" Harry asked apprehensively.

Colin smiled. "I just have to take a picture of you. It's painless."

At the mention of 'painless', Harry felt much better. "All right, then. Anything for Hermione."

With that, the younger boy raised the camera and took a picture. The flash momentarily blinded Harry, and as he tried gaining focus again, he heard Colin muttering, "Oh, no..."

"What happened?" he asked nervously. He hoped he hadn't grown an extra arm or something like that. Once he could see again, he looked at the younger Gryffindor expectantly. But the boy wasn't looking at him, he was looking at something to his right. So, naturally, he followed his gaze. And froze.

"Bloody hell!" said an exact copy of himself. Well, not exact. Copy Harry was grinning madly, an expression the real boy never wore in his life. "This is great, Colin!"

The Sixth Year grinned sheepishly at the real Harry. "Um, I didn't know that would happen. I just got the camera a month ago and have been wanting to test it on someone. It says the effects last for twenty-four hours."

Harry narrowed his eyes and was about to snap at the boy, but his copy clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Colin! I think it's a terrific idea!" he said loudly and cheerfully. "Now, if you excuse us, I have some stuff to do!"

And with that, the copy ran out of the room, almost skipping. "Um, shouldn't you follow him?" Colin asked after a few seconds of silence. "He's bound to do things you normally wouldn't do, you know."

Harry's eyes widened. "Oh, damn!" he hissed before running off after his copy. The young photographer followed, not sure of what else to do.

* * *

Harry was met with bewildered stares on his way. "Have you seen a crazy version of myself?" he asked as he ran. Many people pointed forward, a look of realization crossing their features. "Thanks!"

He found his copy making fun of Snape, and the Potions Master yelling at the top of his lungs. A lot of students were around them, watching on in awe and horror. "Hey, you!" he shouted, trying to get the attention of his copy. "You stupid copy, what do you think you're doing?"

All heads turned to him, and then back to his clone. Snape looked as if Voldemort had just asked him to tap dance. "What is the meaning of this, Potter?"

"It was my fault, sir. He's a negative copy of Harry," Colin Creevy said as he panted for air. "I didn't really know something like that would happen," he pointed at copy Harry, who was wiggling his bum in Snape's direction, a maniac grin on his face.

The real Harry wanted the floor to crack open so that he could crawl in there and never come out again. Snape sneered at him, and then turned to the clone. "What are you doing?" he asked angrily, when he saw the Boy-Who-Lived's clone's backside. Many of the students around them snickered.

"Why, I thought you went back to your arse-licking ways," clone Harry said calmly, as he turned around. "And maybe you wanted to lick mine." Everyone stared wide-eyed at him. "Not that I swing that way, so don't get your hopes up, Snape," he said sweetly.

"Earth, take me now," Harry muttered as some people looked at him warily. "Whatever he says, I don't agree," he pointed out. Some people seemed to believe, fortunately.

"Aw, you're ruining all the fun," his clone whined.

"Potter," Snape started. Both Harrys turned to look at him. "You should lock your copy until it's gone."

Harry nodded, inwardly relieved. But his clone seemed to be horrified, and before anyone could do anything, he ran away. "Follow that Harry!" Colin shouted, as he and the real Harry started running after the copy. A bunch of Seventh Years went with them.

"It's going to the library," a Ravenclaw pointed out.

Harry's eyes widened. "Hermione!" Colin didn't need to ask what he meant.

* * *

She knew she was a bit behind her studies. The lost of her grandparents had been a tough blow. But more so had been seeing Harry half dead on the battlefield. She knew then, that she loved him. But when he recovered, she didn't have the courage to tell him. She simply shut him away and tried studying.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by a loud bang. Hermione looked up and saw Harry strutting towards her, a huge grin plastered on his face, completely ignoring the barking Madame Pince. "Hermione, dear!" he exclaimed happily, jumping on the seat next to hers. "What are you doing here?"

She couldn't help but stare. That was not Harry. Period. It was probably someone with some spare Polyjuice. But she was supposed to be the only one able to brew it. She bit her lower lip. Could it be that another little girl was brewing Polyjuice? Was she going to be replaced? She enjoyed being able to brew that potion on her Second Year. It was something very difficult to do. And while she failed at getting the hairs for herself, Harry and Ron had successfully impersonated Crabbe and Goyle.

There was another bang, and Madame Pince's disbelieving voice, "Potter? Again? But -"

Hermione looked away from the grinning Harry and found herself staring at a very worried-looking Harry. "Are you okay? Did he do anything to you?" She shook her head, too shocked to speak. "Good," he said sighing in relief. He turned to his clone. "And _you_!"

Copy Harry shrugged. "You are a coward, Harry. She's right in front of you, yet you say nothing."

Hermione was beyond curious now, but mostly hopeful. "What is he talking about, Harry?"

The real Harry looked at her like a deer caught in headlights. But before he could come up with an excuse, his clone yawned and looked at her as if he was bored. "Why, I thought you were smart," he said. She glared at him. "He fancies you, Booky."

The first thought that ran through Hermione's mind was, _Booky?_ But then it was replaced by the first part of the sentence. She looked up at the real Harry and noticed the extremely red face that rivaled Ron's hair. _Booky?_ "Booky?" she asked stupidly, too shocked to ask anything else. She was afraid it was a joke from either the real, the fake or both Harrys.

The real Harry looked embarrassed and a little hurt by the change of subject. But the copy simply rolled his eyes. "I dunno, I'm part of him, so I know all about him. Specially the stuff he denies to himself. I know he only associated you a couple of times with the name 'Booky'. I think he was thinking of following his father's steps and include you and Ron (Snorty, I believe it was).

"I have a mind of my own, though," the copy said, grinning smugly at his counterpart. Colin Creevy was standing somewhat next to the real Harry, wide-eyed.

The raven-haired boy was making a very good impersonation of a goldfish, as he opened and closed his mouth several times. Finally he found his voice, "I never... I never..." he stammered. "Well, I once thought it'd be cute... But that was long ago!"

Hermione didn't know if she should cry or laugh at the look on his face and the whole situation. "You fancy me?" she asked softly.

He gulped audibly and nodded. "I really do," he said quietly.

A loud clap startled both, and they looked over at copy Harry. "Finally! Now, if you excuse me, I have some ladies to see, if you get what I mean," he said, winking at them. Before they could react, he was out of the library.

"Oh, no!" Harry muttered. "He's going to ruin my life!"

Hermione was on her feet right away, forgetting her books and essays. "Of course not! We'll find him and... By the way, _who_ is he?"

Colin coughed and blushed. "Um, that would be a copy of Harry. I... I took a picture of him with this special camera and he... sort of... popped up."

Hermione groaned. "Just great, a negative copy," she muttered. "Let's go find him, before he damages Harry's reputation."

* * *

Ron was sitting next to his sister at the Gryffindor table, stuffing his face. On his other side, his new girlfriend sat, politely eating. Luna didn't seem to mind his rather rude table manners. Well, she used to. Now it seemed she considered it a lost cause.

Ron watched as Harry walked into the Great Hall. He looked eerily cheerful, and everyone noticed it. But that couldn't be right, he had been complaining all morning! Harry sat next to Ginny and winked at her. The redhead girl raised an eyebrow, eyeing him warily. Her crush for him had long ago died, otherwise she would have had a heart attack.

Besides, Harry _never_ winked like that. Not even to Hermione. And that was saying something. "So..." he said, looking around him. Neville seemed to be fuming, something _very_ strange. "Fancy a snog?" he asked her, nudging her.

Ginny paled as she stood up abruptly. "_What_?" she heard herself and two males exclaiming. She looked around and noticed Ron and Neville standing up as well. Harry, next to her, was still sitting and still grinning, in a weird... seductively sort of way.

Suddenly everyone gasped when three people ran into the Great Hall. Ron blinked in confusion at the panting Harry, next to a flushed Hermione and a tired-looking Colin, then turned to the Harry that was currently frowning in the newcomers' direction. "You never let me have fun!" he complained.

The real Harry growled. "What were you doing?"

Ginny frowned at the copy, then looked up at him. "He asked me if I fancied a snog."

Harry's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets, while his clone smirked smugly. "And that's how you ask for permission. So, go ahead and snog Booky already!"

Hermione's eye twitched. "Don't I get a say in this?"

The clone shook his head. "Nope. Neither does Snorty's sister."

"Who's Snorty?" Ron asked confusedly. Harry laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. Hermione felt like snogging him then and there, as he looked very cute when he was nervous.

"Um, don't listen to him," she said quickly. "He's just trying to make Harry look bad."

The clone looked offended. "Of course not!" Then he smirked. "I think I know what your problem is!" Harry and Hermione looked at each other apprehensively. Somehow they knew they wouldn't like what the copy would say. "He is not a good kisser! Here, let's compare!"

Before she could ask him what he meant with 'compare', he grabbed her by the shoulders and fully kissed her. The real Harry was shocked, but quickly became angry. "Hey! Don't _do_ that!"

The clone broke the kiss and grinned maniacally at him. "And that's, ladies and gentlemen, what it looks like when Hermione Granger is kissed by Harry Potter." He turned to Colin, letting go of the stunned witch. "Did you take a picture?"

The young boy shook his head dumbly. "I still got the... _bad_ camera..."

The clone frowned, clearly disappointed. But Hermione's eyes lit up. "Colin! Come with me," she said as she grabbed the Muggle-born wizard and dragged him away with her. Harry frowned, but knew better than to feel jealous. His copy smirked at him.

"Hermione and Colin, sitting in a tree," he sang annoyingly at his real self.

"Continue that song and I'll get rid of you with my own hands," Harry muttered angrily, still looking at the large doors of the Great Hall.

After some minutes, the most bizarre thing happened. Colin came back, pale and wide-eyed, followed by a blushing Hermione. Behind them, was a second Hermione, looking quite pleased with herself. "Oi, you made a copy of Hermione for me!" the second Harry said excitedly. "Hello, Booky," he said in the most seductive voice he could manage, though it was difficult, because he was clearly too happy to see the second Hermione.

She looked almost exactly like the real girl, except for the crazed smile on her lips. "My Hissy!" she cried out, throwing her arms around him and kissing him. The male clone responded quite eagerly to the kiss, and it soon turned into a passionate snogging session.

Colin turned to the still embarrassed Hermione. "You still think it was a good idea?" he squeaked.

Harry raised an eyebrow at her, and she sighed. "I didn't think she'd be like _that_," she said, pointing to the snogging couple. Her eyes widened as she saw Hissy's hand disappear into the depths of her counterpart's robes. "Hey! Stop that!" she exclaimed.

"This is so disturbing," Ron said as he took his plate and fork and continued eating while standing next to the real Harry. "It's almost like watching Malfoy getting mauled by a herd of Hippogriffs. You can't take your eyes off of it." He gulped down more food as he talked, never breaking eye contact from the copy couple.

Harry eyed him warily before turning to Hermione. "We might as well do the same," he said meekly, but he had to hide behind Ron when she glared at him. "It was only a suggestion!" he squeaked.

Hissy and Booky - Hermione made up her mind to call them that, since they weren't _really_ themselves - finally broke the kiss and grinned insanely at her. "You should do that, Hermione," Hissy said. Booky sighed dreamily and rested her head on his chest.

"My, Hissy. Didn't know you were so big," she said offhandedly. Almost everyone's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. But the male clone's ego, of course, was boosted. "It's making me very, very wet."

A loud choking sound was heard, and everyone turned to Ron, who was struggling to breathe. Luna and Harry were trying to pat him on the back as hard as they could to help him spit the piece of food stuck in his throat. "Worry not! I know how to deal with this situation!" Hissy exclaimed.

Ron's eyes widened in realization and horror. Harry quickly hit him hard on the back and he was able to send the piece of chicken flying across the Hall. "Don't get anywhere near me!" the redhead exclaimed, using his girlfriend as a shield. Luna just blinked at the smirking clone.

Hissy sighed dramatically. "Come, Booky. I know when I'm not welcome," he said as he led the female clone away. "We have some unfinished business, after all!" he said loudly, placing a hand on the girl's bum.

Harry groaned and shook his head. "This is the worst day of my life," he muttered. He heard someone clearing their throats and looked up, only to meet Hermione's brown eyes. "Um, well, except the part in which I confessed how I feel about you. By the way, you didn't tell me what you feel about me. Should I get some anti-depressive potion ready?"

The girl rolled her eyes. "Of course not, Harry. I think it's obvious how I feel about you, by now."

He smiled sheepishly at her. "Really?"

Hermione approached him and hugged him. "Really," she whispered in his ear. "I don't just fancy you. I love you."

Harry's heart skipped a few beats, and he suddenly wondered if he was having a heart attack. But no, it started beating again. A bit faster than usual. "You do?"

"Yes," she said firmly. "I do."

"Hermione?" he asked in a whisper, holding her in his arms.

"Hmm?"

"I love you too," he whispered in a conspirational sort of way. She snorted, and he couldn't help finding that endearing even if he was sure Ron would wrinkle his nose at the un-lady like sound she had made.

If Hissy and Booky were snogging each other senseless, he no longer cared. All he cared about was having Hermione in his arms.

Besides, since everyone was in the Great Hall, the copies couldn't be doing anything to anyone.

Right...?

* * *

Severus Snape glared at the teens. He felt helpless, miserable and cursed. Potter smirked at him and turned to Granger. They practically had a tongue fight right in front of him. And he couldn't look away. Not with a Full Body Bind on himself, and hanging off the wall.

If only he could scream for help...

Oh, no! They're...

Snape would never _ever_ again be able to see Potter and Granger in the same way he always had.

No, scratch that. He'd quit when he was freed. First he'd run like hell, then he'd go to Dumbledore and _beg_ to be removed of his post.

He'd never be able to look at any student the same way...

* * *

**Notes:** lol, this was based on a dream. Well, just the idea of the magical camera generating a second Harry. It also had to do with a challenge I made at Portkey ("Twisted Clones!").  
The dream was a bit more perverted than that, but I'm not good with sexual stories. :P It also had some angst, since Hermione's mother was angry at Harry for some reason. But I'm also not very good with angst (ignore "Last Stop", the only angsty story I could ever write properly).


End file.
